“If you ask me my intention… Well, honestly, I don’t really know either.”

…What?

“Listen, Rion. I’m not the type to act while thinking deeply about things.”

To be honest, I had a feeling that the direction of this conversation would influence the relationship Rion and I would maintain in the future. That said, I had no suitable answer to her question.

If I had a proper intention, I could say something. I truly believed that if it were Himari or Rion, I could produce the results I wanted.

Given Rion’s tendency to prepare for the future, if my guess is correct, then I might be a little more qualified for this role? That’s actually a part that fits in reality, so it’s not exactly something I would call an intention.

Yeah. I’ve already noticed that tendency from a long time ago.

“Oh, that might hurt a little…”

But you can’t say you understand everything about a person just by what’s on the surface. People sometimes act irrationally and can show brilliant sides too.

“…So, does that mean I have such aspects?”

Well, I don’t fully understand you yet. You have the potential for completely rational and reasonable thinking, but also tend to veer off in strange directions. I’ve grasped that you can turn everyone into your ally, to the point of having a mind that can be described as a flower garden.

…Hearing that, it all seems right. Even if I should feel insulted, Rion’s unique tone makes it sound just like a simple listing of facts, so I don’t particularly feel hurt.

“That’s already enough understanding, I think…”

If you can’t predict someone’s actions, it means you don’t understand them. Until now, you’re the only one I haven’t fully understood.

“Umm… thanks for the compliment…?”

It wasn’t a compliment. Mika, do you know about the trolley dilemma?

“That dilemma where you have to decide who to kill with your own hands? It’s so famous that not knowing it would be more strange.”

Usually, it’s expressed that you sacrifice one side to save the other, right?

“But saying that you save the other side by sacrificing one feels like a kind of defense mechanism, doesn’t it? It gives greater meaning to the act of saving a life over deciding to kill someone with my own hands, providing some comfort. I did nothing wrong. I did the right thing. Yeah, something like that.”

…So, when given that choice, which side would you choose, Mika?

“Well, what if I just blow up the entire train?”

That sounds like something Neru would say. I guess possessing a body that surpasses intellect naturally leads to that.

“…Can’t deny that.”

More importantly, I began to understand why this conversation was crucial in establishing my relationship with Rion.

Perhaps Rion had judged that I might become a collaborator in a plan she established to prepare for annihilation. The return on having someone who holds the Trinity, classified as one of the three major academies, as a collaborator is usually enormous.

However, due to Rion’s personality, I had no certainty about this. With her nature of thinking she’s always right and pushing forward like a lone wolf, if I opposed her decisions or suggested another opinion, she would immediately kick me aside, collaborator or not.

“My intention. If I had to say, I could simply say that it’s because I believe in your abilities. Or, perhaps it’s to provoke Himari-chan.”

“And Rion, you too.”

Did you maybe send this to Himari as well?

“Yeah, that’s right. Himari—”

…That statement contradicts the idea that you trust my abilities.

“Heueng? I can see how it might look that way.”

I acknowledge that Himari is capable. However, if I were to question whether she can definitively determine superiority and inferiority, I would deny that. It seems you’ve somewhat concluded that superiority, though.

“Ahaha, you still held onto that, huh…? That was just a joke I made to tease Himari-chan. Feeling that way while genuinely enjoying it feels a bit too narrow-minded, don’t you think? More importantly, that sounds like you’re saying Himari-chan is below you.”

I didn’t mean it in that way. Himari… well. If I had to say, she can view the world from a position equal to mine, but the direction of our gazes is different. And you have a similar perspective too.

“…If we just consider intelligence, I can’t even compare to you guys.”

Watching how you resolve problems made me realize that intelligence cannot be simply defined. It’s something that, while slightly different, stretches into the realm of reason, allowing one to present their views from a different perspective. That could also be called intelligence.

“…Then, how much of that is attributed to my status as the T-party host?”

About 50%.

“Ahaha.”

What’s that? Ultimately, if I were just an ordinary student, it would be dismissed as nonsense.

Actually, that’s not the important part. The most crucial thing is… you share similarities with me.

“Uh?”

Me, with Rion? I have no idea. Where the heck did that statement come from?

I hope this isn’t about preferences. I have no confidence in handling that kind of one-sided familiarity for a thousand years.

I’m not talking about aesthetic sense.

“…What? Has the technology of Millennium advanced to the point where telepathy is possible through a phone now?”

That can’t be. If there’s someone who says Yes when everyone else yells No, it’s natural to suspect if that person really believes in Yes.

…No, did she know everything? Really? Then she probably thought I was being fake while going along with it, just like someone from Trinity.

Wow…

“Um, suddenly admitting you knew everything is super embarrassing…”

…Why? You have a charm that naturally pulls people in. I even indulged a little in that sweetness, behaving in a way I usually wouldn’t. Yet, you responded to it seriously. It’s definitely something to be proud of to have that kind of maturity.

“Rion-chan, did you eat something weird?”

No, I finished my meal with a prescribed diet that allows me to accurately intake the nutrients optimal for my body.

“…Yeah, speaking like that, it definitely seems like it’s you, Rion-chan. So strange, really.”

I’m confused. I almost feel like I want to open up everything honestly. Conversations with Rion can be oddly exhausting.

I won’t explain in detail which part we share, but personally, I do hold you in high regard. I’ll let you believe that there was no special intention behind this.

“Oh, um…”

Once the matter in Abydos is wrapped up, come to Millennium. Let’s have a talk again then. And about the materials you sent… naturally, I’ll interpret them, but whether to share them will be decided based on your response.

“Um, Rion-chan…”

Click.

“…Ah.”

She just stopped talking after saying what she had to. Rion knows how to drive someone crazy…

*

“…”

I put down the phone after it was hung up. Indeed, Mika is similar to me.

She says she has no particular intentions, but there’s definitely something she’s hiding. That much is a fact I can’t deny.

So, Mika, what exactly are you hiding…?

Why is it that while you’re hiding secrets, you can share such important information so casually? I can’t understand at all.

I examine the enlarged image filled with various patterns. If it’s a legacy of Abydos that has never been publicly disclosed even once, it implies that the information has been rigorously controlled.

Mika, who shared such controlled information openly, speculated this was an omen. This means she must have seen something inscribed on this obelisk and confirmed that it’s a prophecy.

As expected, my calculations predicting annihilation weren’t wrong. And this data could lead my calculations closer to perfection.

…But Mika, it bothers me slightly that you sent such crucial information to Himari. If she realizes that this is a prophecy predicting annihilation, she’ll likely mobilize to officially create a group to prepare for it.

Wouldn’t it be fortunate if we didn’t end up clashing in that process?

Separately, I can’t help but wonder why Himari. If you trust my abilities, why send the materials to Himari first?

The fact that you sent me materials indicates you have higher expectations of her, Mika.

You did call Himari the best genius of Millennium, right? Although it could have just been a joke, we humans often act based on our subconscious. This implies you genuinely rank her higher than I.

…This boiling feeling inside me—could it be jealousy? Jealousy towards Himari?

How strange. Since when did I start being so influenced by Mika’s thoughts?

She is certainly from a different academy, and even based on her nature, she didn’t ridicule my taste and instead engaged with it…

Millennium’s top beauty, Tsukatsuki Rion☆

“…Huh.”

I’ve never been particularly conscious of outer beauty. I’ve always valued my intellect over such trivial things and took pride in it.

That’s why I enrolled in Millennium and could sit at the top of the seminar.

Thus, it’s difficult to define this strange feeling.

Last year when I received a gift from Mika. Why does the word “friend” pop up when reading the letter she sent? For Mika, “friend” is probably a word that can be discussed lightly…

Mika must have found it upsetting that she valued Himari’s intelligence more than mine, yet I remember feeling a strange sense of satisfaction at being called the top beauty instead. The joy of receiving a gift that met my tastes was definitely happiness.

…I don’t get it. I guess I’ll have to meet Mika once more to understand.

Mika, can you… understand me?